Curious Cat Strikes Again: Scientists Feline Companion Discovers New Virus Strain for the Second Time

A scientist’s cat gained some fame last year by being part of the discovery of the first Jowlongvirus found in the US, a type of virus from the family of paramyxoviruses. Now, the cat has achieved a similar feat by bringing home another animal that harbors a previously unknown virus.

The new virus was identified in a deceased Florida Everglades short-tailed shrew (Blarina peninsulae), which the cat, named Perchik, caught during a hunt near their home in Gainesville, Florida. John Lednicky, Perchik’s owner and a virologist at the University of Florida, took his pet’s catch to the lab for examination.

The analysis revealed that the shrew carried a novel strain of orthovirus—a poorly understood viral genus known to infect birds and various mammals, including humans, white-tailed deer, and bats. Lednicky and his colleagues published their findings in the Microbiology Resource Announcements journal.

«It’s essential that we pay attention to ortho-viruses and understand how to detect them quickly,» Lednicky stated in a press release. This concern arises from documented cases where these viruses have caused serious illnesses in humans.

First identified in the 1950s, ortho-viruses are transmitted via feces or inhaled droplets and typically infect the respiratory or gastrointestinal tracts of their hosts.

Initially termed «orphan viruses» because they were not associated with any known diseases, researchers believed they were harmless. However, subsequent studies have linked ortho-viruses to rare instances of brain swelling (encephalitis), swelling of the tissues surrounding the brain (meningitis), and inflammation of the digestive tract (gastroenteritis) in children, as noted in the release.

After isolating the virus from the dead shrew, Lednicky and his team analyzed its genome and confirmed it as a new strain, which they designated as «Gainesville shrew mammalian orthoreovirus type 3 strain UF-1.»

The emergence of new viral strains is not surprising, as viruses are constantly evolving and generating new variants. One way new strains arise is when two distinct viruses co-infect a host cell and exchange genetic material, according to Lednicky.

«I’m not the first to say this, but basically, those who seek will find, which is why we keep discovering all these new viruses,» Lednicky remarked.

Researchers still have many unanswered questions about ortho-viruses, including their prevalence in humans and animals, how frequently infections occur, and possible transmission routes. For instance, ortho-viruses with nearly identical genes were found in deer in the US, farmed minks in China, and a lion in Japan, suggesting potential transmission through products made by the same manufacturer.

Moving forward, researchers plan to isolate the virus from the serum of potential hosts and conduct immunological studies to better understand the threat this newly discovered strain may pose to humans and wildlife. For now, «we don’t know enough about this recently discovered virus to warrant concern,» stated Emily DeRuyter, the lead author of the study and a doctoral student at the University of Florida.

As for Perchik, virologists have noted that he shows no signs of illness and will continue to contribute to scientific research through his hunting activities.